'09-'10 Eastern Conference Predictions

Here’s a few thoughts about the Eastern Conference I’ll delve into before going into my predictions:

* After the Flyers, Capitals, Bruins, and Penguins, the East becomes wide open. Eight teams (see my five through twelve selections) will be competing for those final four spots

* Last year there were two big point drop-offs. One was between the three and four seeds, and the other between the ten and eleven seeds (I don’t include the drop between thirteen and fourteen seeds because it is unimportant as far as playoff ramifications). That means the three division winners were head and shoulders above the rest, and only two teams that finished outside the playoffs were in competition for a playoff spot. This year, I expect the two big drop-offs to come between four and five, and between twelve and thirteen. Expect the parity in the middle of the Eastern Conference to resemble the log-jam that was prevalent for most of the season in the West last year, where the Dallas Stars, despite finishing a lowly twelfth, were only eight points outside of the playoffs.

* The hardest division for me to pick was the Northeast. The Bruins are clearly the best team, but after that it is wide, and I mean wide, open.

* I still expect four teams to get in from the Atlantic Division, something that’s occurred three straight seasons, now.

* Remember to think about what teams should excel in the shoot-out. It seems trivial, but a team like the Rangers with Henrik Lundqvist in net, and Marian Gaborik and Ales Kotalik shooting, is in a good position to nab a lot of extra points. Guys like Martin Brodeur and Lundqvist loom large in this aspect of the game.

Keeping these thoughts in mind, here are my Eastern Conference Predictions…

1. Philadelphia Flyers*
- Scoring, Checking, Defense, and most importantly, leadership. The Chris Pronger addition gives the Flyers’ one of the best defensive groups in the game, and adds another leader to a locker room already full of them (Mike Richards, Kimmo Timonen, Simon Gagne, Jeff Carter). Two questions linger: Can Ray Emery cut the antics and reach another Stanley Cup Final? And, can the Flyers tame their penalty-laden nature?

2. Washington Capitals*
- With guys like Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin, and Mike Green, it’d be a shock if the Caps didn’t capture the Southeast Division, again. But will their defense and goaltending be good enough, and consistent enough, come playoff time? Is Varlamov ready to take the reigns?

3. Boston Bruins*
- The Bruins possess the defending Jack Adams (Claude Julien), Vezina (Tim Thomas), and Norris Trophy (Zdeno Chara) winners. They lost leading goal-scorer Phil Kessel, but they have plenty of guys to help fill the hole. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some questions to be answered. How will David Krejci comeback from off-season surgery? Will Patrice Bergeron step up his game offensively?

4. Pittsburgh Penguins
- Sidney Crosby. Evgeni Malkin. Sergei Gonchar. Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins will continue to be successful because their top guns are the best in the business. But, will the role players be able to help them out? If they do, the rest of the league is in trouble.

5. Carolina Hurricanes
- The Hurricanes possess a slightly above average offense and a solid, but unspectacular, defense. So why will they finish fifth? Chemistry, Coaching, and above all, Cam Ward. The ‘Canes will go as far as Eric Staal and Ward can take them. Staal could really use some help from an old buddy - Erik Cole. Will Cole be able to return to the wreck-less abandon style of play he employed before being badly injured by a Brooks Orpik hit?

6. New York Rangers
- The Rangers have made their fair share of changes over the summer. Marian Gaborik heads a vastly different group of forwards up front, while the Rangers have also plugged in two rookies (Michael Del Zotto and Matt Gilroy) for two veterans (Paul Mara and Derek Morris) on the blue-line. Henrik Lundqvist will still rule supreme in between the pipes, which cannot be overlooked. Outside of Lundqvist, there are a handful of question marks. Will Gaborik stay healthy? Will Sean Avery be a problem for his opponents or for his own team? How will John Tortorella’s attack style of play work, especially amongst the defensemen, on Broadyway?

7. New Jersey Devils
- The Devils lost Brian Gionta, John Madden, Bobby Holik, Mike Rupp, and Scott Clemmensen. They added…Cory Murphy and Yann Danis. So this is the year they finally miss the playoffs, right? Nope. Jacques Lemaire will “bore” the Devils right back into the playoffs. Two questions, though - Will Zach Parise continue his offensive exploits in Lemaire’s system? Will Marty Brodeur play like it’s 1995, or play like he did in the game that eliminated the Devils last spring?

8. Toronto Maple Leafs
- The new-look Brian Burke defense looks good. Tomas Kaberle is healthy and in great shape. Jonas Gustavsson is knocking on the door if Vesa Toskala falters. However, there is one big question - can they score enough to win games? The main reasons I like them to sneak into the last playoff spot - grit, determination, and above all, chemistry. I just see this team coming together - probably my biggest “gut” pick here.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning
- Vincent Lecavalier is healthy, the defense is improved, and Steven Stamkos is a year older. Expect Martin St. Louis and Lecavalier to power the Lightning to a much improved season in ‘09-’10. The big question marks will be goaltender Mike Smith’s health and the defensive group. It will also be interesting to see how Victor Hedman performs in his rookie season, as he is tutored by fellow-countrymen Mattias Ohlund.

10. Montreal Canadiens
- I could go through all the additions and departures, but everyone reading this knows the Habs are a completely different team than in ‘08-’09. This season will come down to two things for Montreal - leadership and the play of Carey Price. If the team leaders (Scott Gomez, Mike Cammalleri, Andrei Markov) and goaltending (Carey Price) strive, the Habs will finish higher than 10th. In the fishbowl that is Montreal, it’s anyone’s guess how the team will perform.

11. Ottawa Senators
- Expect Jason Spezza to bounce back to over 90 points. Expect Daniel Alfredsson to go about his business as usual. Milan Michalek should develop well playing on a line with Spezza and Alfredsson. However, the defensive group is below average, and the goaltending duo of Pascal Leclaire (will he stay healthy?) and Brian Elliot doesn’t exactly have me brimming with confidence. The Sens should improve on 83 points, but unless Alexei Kovalev plays like it’s ’07-’08, the defense comes together, and the goaltending proves itself…well, you get the picture. A lot would need to fall into place.

12. Buffalo Sabres
- The Sabres are another difficult team to place. Their offense will be solid, especially if Tim Connolly can stay healthy (doubtful), and the goaltending department is in excellent hands with Ryan Miller. But their defense is awful on paper. I like Craig Rivet, but he’s far from a number one defenseman. Just as Toni Lydman isn’t a number two…I could go down the list. If the defense finds a way to be greater than the sum of its parts, the Sabres should finish better than 12th.

13. Atlanta Thrashers
- Yes, the Thrashers do look much better on paper this year. They should have a quality power-play, Zach Bogosian will continue to develop on the back-end, and they still have one of the elite players in the world in Ilya Kovalchuk. However, the defense is still very iffy in their own zone, the offense is nothing to get excited about, and Kari Lehtonen can’t stay healthy.

14. Florida Panthers
- The Panthers had a nice run at the playoffs last season, coming in at a tie for 8th with the Canadiens, but losing out on the tie-breaker. I don’t think they’ll be that close to the playoffs this season. How will the defense perform without Jay Bouwmeester? Will Nathan Horton finally take the next step? Can Tomas Vokoun and Scott Clemmensen get it done in between the pipes?

15. New York Islanders
- They play in the hardest division in the East, Kyle Okposo is already hurt, and the offense and defense are significantly below average. Well, the power-play with John Tavares and Mark Streit should be fun to watch, atleast, right?

'09-'10 Western Conference Predictions

Here’s a few thoughts about the Western Conference I’ll delve into before going into my predictions:

* Seeds six through twelve were separated by a mere nine points in the standings last season. Expect more of the same this year.

* With so many young teams out West (Blackhawks, Blues, Blue Jackets, Kings, Wild, Avalanche, even the Oilers to an extent), it’s sometimes hard to predict how quickly, or slowly, these teams will advance. Who had both the Blues and the Jackets in the playoffs last season?

* The Central Division is weak no more. The Wings, Hawks, Blues, Jackets, and Preds are all quality teams - there’s no easy games there. I expect four to get into the playoffs, just like last season.

* The parity in the entire league, but especially in the West, is unbelievable (due in large part to the shoot-out, but still). I think thirteen teams could realistically have playoff aspirations (sorry, Phoenix and Colorado)

1. San Jose Sharks*
- The Sharks seemingly have all the pieces in place - two studs (Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley) up front, a stable back-line (Dan Boyle, Rob Blake), and a goaltender with tremendous stats (Evgeny Nabokov). There isn’t a doubt in anyone’s mind they’ll have another excellent season, but will they be able to finally break through in the playoffs? Is their a leader in that dressing room? How will Patrick Marleau respond to being stripped of the captaincy?

2. Detroit Red Wings*
- Has the Central Division improved ten-fold? Yes. Are the Red Wings getting older? Yes. Will they still be a contender? Of Course. They still have the best two-way player in the game in Pavel Datsyuk, the ‘08 Conn Smyth winner in Henrik Zetterberg, and perennial Norris Trophy threat Nicklas Lidstrom on defense. There are some questions, though - when will Lidstrom’s game start to deteriorate because of age? Which Chris Osgood will show up this year?

3. Calgary Flames*
- The Flames have one of the best leaders and offensive forces in the game in Jarome Iginla, a defensive group (Jay Bouwmeester, Dion Phaneuf, Robyn Regehr) that could come to be known as the best in the league, and a goalie (Miikka Kiprusoff) that is a workhorse and a half. But - how will Phaneuf rebound from last year’s poor season? Will Olli Jokinen show up this year? Will “Kipper” be overworked?

4. Chicago Blackhawks
- The ‘Hawks took great strides last season, earning both a playoff berth and a ticket to the Western Conference Finals. They have leadership, youth, grit, coaching, and depth. So what could hold them back? Well, Cristobal Huet isn’t exactly Patrick Roy. Big free-agent pick-up Marian Hossa is supposedly out until January. If Huet plays well and Hossa comes back 100% from injury, Chicago could be in store for a quality season.

5. Anaheim Ducks
- The Ducks experienced a minor re-tooling this summer. The offense is much improved with the additions of Joffrey Lupul and Saku Koivu, who should help Teemu Selanne give the Corey Perry-Ryan Getzlaf-Bobby Ryan some much needed help on offense. But how will the defense respond to Chris Pronger’s absence? Are Ryan Whitney and James Wisniewski capable of being top-three defensemen? Who will start in goal - Jonas Hiller or Jean-Sebastian Giguere?

6. Dallas Stars
- Are you overlooking the Stars? Don’t. It’s easy to forget the Stars were in the Western Conference Finals in ‘08. With Captain Brendan Morrow and Brad Richards back at full-strength, along with the addition of top-prospect Jamie Benn, Dallas’s offense is in great shape. A top nine of Morrow, Richards, Benn, Mike Ribeiro, Loui Eriksson, James Neal, Mike Modano, Steve Ott, and Jere Lehtinen is impressive. But, there are some questions at the other end of the ice. Will Stephane Robidas, Matt Niskanen, and Trevor Daley be able to lead the defense? And, most importantly, will Marty Turco bounce back from a season to forget in ‘08-’09?

7. St. Louis Blues
- If you had to guess which team had the best record in the NHL from January 19th on, would your first guess be the Blues? Probably not, but it’s true. St. Louis has an excellent mixture of youth, veterans, and grit up front. Guys like T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund, and David Perron are only going to get better. Paul Kariya is back and healthy. Erik Johnson has come back strong in the pre-season after missing the entire ‘08-’09 campaign. But, there are questions. Is the defense good enough to handle the Datsyuks, Getzlafs, and Thorntons? Will Chris Mason be able to carry the Blues as their number one tender for the entire season?

8. Columbus Blue Jackets
- Fresh off their first post-season berth, the Jackets are now in search of their first playoff victory after being swept by the Wings last spring. Rick Nash leads an up-and-coming group of forwards (Derick Brassard, Jakub Voracek, Nikita Filatov) on offense, which should improve on their totals of last season. Steve Mason had a magical rookie season in net - will he be able to avoid the sophomore slump? Will a defense with Fedor Tyutin as its leader be able to repeat its surprising ‘08-’09 performance?

9. Edmonton Oilers
- With Craig MacTavish out in Edmonton and Pat Quinn in at the helm, it will be interesting to see how the Oilers respond. Will Dustin Penner emerge into a successful power forward? Will Ales Hemsky become a top ten NHL player? How will the Oilers plethora of offensive rearguards (Sheldon Souray, Lubomir Visnovsky, Tom Gilbert, Denis Grebeshkov) be utilized? Will Sam Gagner have a break-out season? How about Patrick O’Sullivan - is this the year for him to emerge? Lots of potential in Edmonton. Lots of questions, too.

10. Vancouver Canucks
- With the Sedin twins and Roberto Luongo locked up long-term, and Mats Sundin gone and retired, the only questions the Canucks face this year will be on the ice. They possess a very solid defense and a middling offensive group. Does Vancouver have enough pieces in place outside of Luongo to be a serious cup contender. Will there be enough scoring? How will Mattias Ohlund’s departure effect the defense and team leadership? While a lot of teams in the West have improved, I think the Canucks have gone in the other direction.

11. Nashville Predators
- Jason Arnott, Steve Sullivan, and J.P. Dumont on the top-line. Martin Erat and David Legwand on the second. Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, and Dan Hamhuis on the back-end. Sounds fairly similar to me. Pekka Rinne will look to continue his excellent play in net, while rookie Colin Wilson will look to make his mark at the NHL level. The Preds are far from the most talented team in the West, but they will contend hard for a playoff spot like they always do.

12. Los Angeles Kings
- The Kings are knocking on the door. They are almost there. With young guns like Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown up front, and Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson patrolling the blue-line, it’s only a matter of time before the Kings emerge as a quality team out West. The additions of Ryan Smyth and Rob Scuderi should help the Kings learn what it takes to win. However, are the offensive and defensive groups good enough to make the playoffs, yet? Is Jonathon Quick a capable number one netminder? Is Terry Murray’s defensive system conducive to winning in the new NHL, or is he just trying to instill some defensive responsibility into his young team before loosening the reigns?

13. Minnesota Wild
- Will the Wild be worse this year? Probably. Are they in a better long-term position now with Jacques Lemaire gone? Definitely. Gone are the days of playing not to lose, just trying to stay competitive, and rushing and ruining young prospects. Under the Wild’s new regime, the teams’ top players (Mikko Koivu, Martin Havlat, Brent Burns) should thrive offensively. The future is brighter now in Minnesota.

14. Phoenix Coyotes
- Need I discuss the turmoil surrounding the Coyotes? From a hockey standpoint, the ‘Yotes are a young team that is in need of much tutelage. Dave Tippet will supply them with that. Some questions to consider - How will Ilya Bryzgalov perform after a sub-par year in ’08-’09? Will Peter Mueller regroup after experiencing the sophomore slump? How will Mikkel Boedker respond in his second season?

15. Colorado Avalanche
- The post-Sakic era begins for the Avs this season as they try to rebuild their way to success. Paul Stastny and rookie Matt Duchene are good building blocks. Will they be able to re-create some Petr Forsberg/Joe Sakic type moments out in the Rockies?

'09-'10 NHL Playoff and Award Predictions

Playoff Predictions:

Eastern Conference Finals:
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Western Conference Finals:
Detroit Red Wings vs. San Jose Sharks

Stanley Cup Finals:
Detroit Red Wings vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Stanley Cup Champion:
Philadelphia Flyers

Awards:

Art Ross Trophy:
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Rocket Richard Trophy:
Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)

Hart Trophy:
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)

Norris Trophy:
Zdeno Chara (Boston Bruins)

Vezina Trophy:
Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers)

Evgeny Grachev Sent to Hartford

Good move by Rangers' management.

In my mind, Evgeny Grachev is not physically ready to play in the NHL, just yet. I'd rather see the lanky Russian winger succeed at the AHL level before moving up to the big league. Rangers fans need to remember he's only 19, and it's not as if the Rangers are in a position where they have a lot of openings up front.

Playing in the AHL will allow Grachev to build up his confidence and consistency - there is no reason to rush him, at all.

I also hope this is a prelude to Vinny Prospal staying on the wing.

If Prospal plays wing, the Rangers have six quality "top-nine" wingers - Prospal, Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, Chris Higgins, Ales Kotalik, and Sean Avery - and that's not including Enver Lisin, who will probably assume Avery's spot as he continues to recover from an MCL sprain. Even if Grachev were to make the team, I couldn't see him playing more than 10-12 minutes a game, which probably isn't the best course for his development.

Assuming Avery can't go on Friday, I think the Rangers will look like this upfront:

Prospal-Dubinsky-Gaborik
Lisin-Drury-Kotalik
Higgins-Anisimov-Callahan
Voros-Boyle-Brashear

The Rangers played it safe here with what they hope will be a future stalwart up front.

I think it was the right move.

Pre-Season News & Notes

How about Theo Fleury?

At 41-years young, the diminutive forward has turned back the clocks during his pre-season tryout with the Calgary Flames.

4 games played, 1 goal, 3 assists, 1 shoot-out game-winner. Not bad for a guy who hasn't played in the NHL since 2003.

It's nice to see Fleury sober and where he should be - on the ice...

A $14 million defensive third-pair with a cap hit of $11.5 million?

That has become a real possibility for the Rangers.

With the Rangers' defensive corps now set (Staal, Girardi, Rozsival, Redden, Del Zotto, Gilroy, Semenov), it's possible the Rangers start the season with these defensive pairs:

Staal-Gilroy
Del Zotto-Girardi
Redden-Rozsvial

I'll let you decide what the third-pair is...

Nazem Kadri has Leafs Nation briming with excitement. Kadri has been an offensive force for Brian Burks' club in the pre-season. However, don't expect him to make the big club.

Coach Wilson has been pretty definitive in saying Kadri will be going back to London.

OHL defensemen can't be too happy about that...

Jonathan Ericsson was the dead last pick in the 2002 draft.

He's now a top-four defenseman for arguably the best organization in the NHL.

Expect Ericsson to learn loads from his new stall-neighbor, Nicklas Lidstrom. He will never possess Lidstrom's offensive and overall exploits, but he is, and will continue to be, a force on the defensive side of the puck...

What the puck is going to happen with the 'Yotes?

Gretzky's out as coach, prized-prospect Kyle Turris is heading to the AHL, and the court battle to decide where Phoenix will play this season and beyond is still raging.

Word is they are about to hire Dave Tippet, a quality coach who should help the young squad develop.

Jim Balsillie has altered his proposal to keep the Coyotes in the desert for this season, and then move the franchise to Hamilton.

Without getting into my detailed view of the issue, I'll say this - Canada deserves another franchise...

Expect my predictions to be up this weekend. I want to see how all the cuts and try-outs work out before I finalize my picks.

What to Make of Rangers Camp

The New York Rangers have been one of the teams to watch in the pre-season. With new faces all around and spots to be won, it was anyone's guess what the Rangers might look like to start the '09-'10 campaign. With only 24 guys remaining on John Tortorella's roster, one would assume the picture is becoming a lot clearer.

It's not.

The last two to three cuts are still very much up in the air, and the question of where everyone who does make the team will line-up has gotten progressively murkier.

First, Bradon Dubinsky ended his hold-out, signing a two-year deal that will pay him a total of $3.7 million over two years. It was assumed he would definitely center Marian Gaborik on the first line. But will he?

Right now, it's looking like the top-line pivot of choice for Tortorella is Vinny Prospal, who hasn't played center consistently since his pre-NHL days. Combine the fact that Prospal will probably be centering Gaborik, along with the fact that "Torts" has been quoted as saying he doesn't think wing is a great fit for Dubinsky, and you get one interesting situation.

Artem Anisimov, who has had an excellent training camp, was going to be the third line center. But now, with Prospal, Chris Drury, and Dubinsky all above him on the depth chart, where does he fit in? How about Brian Boyle, who has looked solid down he middle on the fourth line - someone who is probably better equipped to handle playing the five minutes a night Tortorella has been known to give his fourth lines in the past?

In today's practice, Anisimov and Boyle took turns participating on the fourth unit.

The situation on the wings is far from clear as well. Sean Avery suffered a sprained MCL yesterday in practice, an injury the Rangers are saying isn't serious, but, none-the-less, still makes things even more puzzling.

The three wild-cards are Enver Lisin, Evgeny Grachev, and Aaron Voros.

Enver Lisin, whose enjoyed what Tortorella has desribed as an eye-opening camp, can really spot in anywhere in the line-up. In today's practice, he was given a shot on the Gaborik-Prospal unit.

Evgeny Grachev, whose forechecking has shown a level of tenacity that has many Rangers fans, including this one, brimming with excitement, is one player the Rangers really want to be careful with. Playing on the fourth line would probably be a waste, as he would be better served to play 20+ minutes a night in Hartford. But with Avery out, one can't help but wonder if Grachev will start the season with the big club. In today's practice he skated with Drury and Ales Kotalik.

The third wild-card is Aaron Voros. His play the last three games has been inspiring, as he is laying it all out on the line to make this team. He is probably suited better for a fourth line role than Grachev and possibly Lisin, which could actually help his chances. Today Tortorella said of Voros, "He puts his time in and he is playing well. He has done a lot of good things for us. It is a good problem for us to have. We have a log jam in some areas and he is part of that log jam. I am not sure where it is going to settle but he has certainly played to a level where he is fighting for a position on this club."

It all comes down to where Tortorella decides to use Prospal. If he plays center, two things happen. First, one of Anisimov or Boyle will probably start the season in the AHL. My guess would be Anisimov, who would be better served playing 20+ minutes a night with the Hartford than five a night with the Rangers. Plus, Boyle is better suited to play with a vigilante like Donald Brashear. Second, Grachev's chances improve to make the big club, as one less wing is there to take a spot - and that hole would be on a scoring line, as well.

If Prospal plays on the wing, two different things would happen. For starters, Anisimov would center the third line, and Boyle the fourth. The other occurrence would be Grachev almost surely starting the season in Hartford.

This is, of course, assuming Avery is healthy enough to start the season. If not, expect Lisin and Grachev to both play in the top-nine.

But then again, without Avery maybe they move Prospal back to wing?

Only time will tell...

As far as the defense goes, I think the situation is fairly straight forward.

Bobby Sanguinetti will be the odd man out.

Unfortunately for Sanguinetti, he got banged up during the grueling laps that Tortorella administers in training camp, giving Michael Del Zotto and Matt Gilroy a head start in the pre-season games for the two spots Tortorella has reserved for youngsters. I say "unfortunate" because the kid worked hard to get into shape for this season, leaving home and heading to work-out in Toronto for the summer.

Del Zotto and Gilroy have looked exceptionally solid, whereas Sanguinetti has looked "okay," and has shown little to nothing offensively. Expect try-out Alexei Semenov to round out a defensive corps of Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Michal Rozsival, Wade Redden, Del Zotto, and Gilroy.

The one big question is who gets the power-play time?

Del Zotto has looked great manning a point along with Ales Kotalik, and I have the impression he will continue to get a chance to stay there. Simply put, the Ranger's pre-season power-play has looked better when he's been on the ice. Redden and Rozsival's horrible exploits on the power-play are still fresh in Tortorella's mind from last year, so I wouldn't be surprised to see the other two spots on the second unit go to whoever has the hot hand out of those two and Gilroy.

Then again, this is pre-season. Maybe he lets Del Zotto and Gilroy take a backseat offensively, at least to start, and allows Rozsival and Redden the chance to prove they can get the job done this season.

My guess is Del Zotto plays the point with Kotalik on one unit and Rozsival and Redden take another, with Gilroy jumping into the mix if and when the power-play underperforms.

It will be interesting to see how the Blueshirts look come October 2nd in Pittsburgh.

My Take on the Conclusion of the Kessel Saga

What Brian Burke wants, Brian Burke usually gets.

The Leafs General Manager was finally able to obtain the 21 year-old restricted free agent from the B's, sending a first rounder in 2010, a second rounder in 2010, and a first rounder in 2011. The Leafs then signed Kessel to a monster 5 year, $27 million contract.

At the end of the day, I like the deal for both sides.

The Leafs get a 21 year-old sniper who scored 36 goals and 60 points in 70 games in '08-'09. He is a guaranteed top line winger with fifty goal potential.

The Bruins acquire three excellent picks, and nip a potential issue in the butt well before the regular season gets under way.

In what amounted to be a cold war of sorts, both Burke and Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli were able to use some tactical maneuvers to try to gain the upper edge.

Here's the series of events:

- Burke publicly admits interest in Kessel.
- Burke tells Chiarelli that he is going to re-acquire his 2010 2nd rounder, meaning he has the necessary picks to send Kessel an offer sheet.
- Burke re-acquires his 2010 2nd rounder.
- Chiarelli publicly states he has the go-ahead from ownership to match any offer sheet for Kessel, meaning he'll want a higher return than the probable 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks the Bruins would be entitled to if the Leafs were to sign Kessel to a top flight RFA offer sheet.

Some people have said Burke should've just sent the offer sheet, so as not to give up multiple first round picks. That would be a risky move on Burke's part. He knows Chiarelli can match the offer, which would result in Kessel being a Bruin for the year, since the RFA rules stipulate that if an offer sheet is matched, that player cannot be moved for that season. I honestly do believe Chiarelli wasn't bluffing, and barring a ludicrous offer would match the deal, despite the cap ramifications. Kessel is side-lined until November at the earliest, and the B's would have the time up until his return to the line-up to find a way to get under the cap. Chiarelli is a talented GM who could've found a way to make it work, as the Bruins have a lot of desireable assets they could've shifted around.

Burke went about this very well. He applied a lot of pressure on Chiarelli while still being upfront about everything. GM relationships are very important going forward, and he definitely didn't make any enemies while still getting what he wanted.

On the whole, Burke has done a spectacular job since taking over in Toronto. He's built from the net out, obtaining highly sought-after Swedish goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, and then beefing up the blue with the additions of Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin, and Garnet Exelby. He's also re-stocked the pipe-line with the likes of Nazem Kadri, Tyler Bozak, and Christian Hanson. The next step is the offense, and Kessel is a great start.

I believe two factors played into Burke's belief that he could sacrifice two first rounders. First, the Leafs shouldn't be a lottery team. That means the picks will probably not be as high as they have selected in the last two drafts - an assessment I agree with. The second factor is Burke's moves this summer. He's already added a slew of prospects into the system, easing any concerns about moving what should eventually be two quality prospects.

Those two first rounders could be busts or they could be stars.

But Phil Kessel is a sure-fire bet.

News & Notes from the Flyers/Maple Leafs Pre-season Tilt

Here's my take on some of the more notable prospects who took part in the Flyers/Maple Leafs pre-season contest tonight.

Nazem Kadri (TOR) - The slick center was very impressive tonight. Playing on a line with Niklas Hagman and Lee Stempniak, Kadri was able to show off all the tools in his offensive arsenal. It's clear the kid has great hands, vision, wheels, and offensive instincts - all of which were on display as he scored his first goal of the pre-season. After taking a pass from Tomas Kaberle in his own zone, Kadri was able to skate with speed through the neutral zone, dish the puck over to Hagman, cut behind him, receieve a drop pass, and then rip a shot in off of the far post. What I liked most about Kadri was his compete level - he fought hard for 50%-50% pucks all night against older, stronger players. I don't think he's quite NHL ready just yet, but he should be ready in '10'-11

Tyler Bozak (TOR) - Coming off scoring what has to be the goal of the pre-season last night versus the B's, the young two-way pivot continued to show his ability to play in all three zones tonight. The most likeable part of Bozak's game is his poise - he's a very "weighty" player with the puck, a great sign for a young player playing at a new level. He was pretty solid playing on the point with Tomas Kaberle on the power-play, aside from one turnover to Mike Richards (who it should be noted, made a play to intercept a Bozak pass that very few other players would be able to make). The guy has the wheels and smarts to be an excellent third line center with some second line potential. I'm confident he could play in the NHL this year.

Viktor Stahlberg (TOR) - Although he wasn't able to make his mark offensively tonight, I also liked what I saw out of Viktor Stahlberg. The Vermont alum has a nice combination of size, skill, and speed - man this guy can skate. I liked his effort on the forecheck, and he proved he is a serviceable defensive player, fairing well on the penalty kill. Will he make the team? I'm not sure. The Leafs have a log-jam up front, and unless he earns a top six spot, I think he might be better served logging big minutes with the Marlies.

Christian Hanson (TOR) - Hanson, too, had a solid outing. I really liked the way Hanson was able to utilize his size, which was illustrated when he went to the net, stopped, and banged home his own rebound in the third period. He also seems to have good wheels for a big guy. I saw some Eric Fehr in Hanson, although he definitely doesn't have the same offensive upside. If he continues to use his size like he did tonight, he could be a useful third line winger who can spot in on one of the top two lines.

James van Riemsdyk (PHI) - Philly's top prospect, playing on a line with Jeff Carter and Aaron Asham, had a fairly uneventful outing. He made a few nifty passes in the offensive zone, but didn't have a really good scoring chance. I took a lot away from his performance tonight, though. I've seen JVR play a lot, and one thing I can say is his positional play and board play is much improved - great news for Flyer fans. I wouldn't be too concerned with seeing JVR's offensive exploits in the pre-season, since he's a talented enough player where you know he'll get his chances. We know the kid has the offensive skills, but the real question he needs to answer is is he strong enough, both mentally and physically, to play at the NHL level and win 50%-50% puck battles? From what I saw tonight, I think he's improved significantly, but he still has a ways to go. On Kadri's goal, he was caught flat-footed in the neutral zone and wasn't able to slow Kadri down at all. I've heard through the grapevine he's looking good to make the Flyers out of camp, but I wonder if he wouldn't be better served going the Claude Giroux route - let him strut his stuff at the AHL level and then call him up later in the season. The main thing I'll take away from JVR's performance tonight is that he is working hard on his strength, board, and positional play. If he does that, and focuses on constantly competing hard, he's skilled enough where the rest should fall into place.

Five Guys I'll be Watching as Training Camps Unfold

5. Michael Del Zotto (NYR-D)
Drafted: '08 NYR 1st Round (20th Overall) Selection
'08-'09 Team - London Knights/Oshawa Generals (OHL)
- The young London Knight makes a great first pass and knows how to run a power-play. He looked sharp in the Rangers' first pre-season game, both taking the body and moving the puck. However, he was at fault for the first goal against for the Blueshirts. John Tortarella has already stated he'd like to keep two young defensemen on the squad, which will likely mean two of Del Zotto, Matt Gilroy, Bobby Sanguinetti, Corey Potter or Mike Sauer. Only 19, Del Zotto will find himself playing under the bright lights of MSG or back under the control of the Hunter Brothers in '09-'10.

4. Matt Duchene (COL-C)
Drafted: '09 COL 1st Round (3rd Overall) Selection
'08-'09 Team - Brampton Battalion (OHL)
- Will Matt Duchene follow the lead of the 1st (John Tavares) and 2nd (Victor Hedman) overall selections in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft into the big leagues? Like Del Zotto, Duchene will find himself either staying with Colorado or back in the OHL. While there's certainly no rush for Colorado to thrust him into the NHL, there is certainly plenty of room for the nifty centerman. It used to be Sakic and Forsberg down the middle for the Avs. Will this year's edition of the Avalanche feature Stastny and Duchene? I'd guess yes.

3. Evgeny Grachev (NYR-LW)
Drafted: '08 NYR 3rd Round (75th Overall) Selection
'08-'09 Team - Brampton Battalion (OHL)
- The most improved player in the Rangers' organization had a great first season in North America. He proved to be one of the elite players in the OHL, taking home Rookie of the Year honors playing alongside the previously mentioned Duchene. This year Grachev will find himself honing his skills with either the Rangers or the Hartford Wolfpack, the club's AHL affiliate. If the Ranger's first pre-season game was any indication, the hulking Russian badly wants to stay with the big club. Grachev hounded the puck and killed penalties all night, and was easily one of the better Rangers players on the ice. If Brandon Dubinsky continues to hold out, Grachev's chances only improve, as the Rangers will be looking for offense any way they can get it.

2. John Carlson (Was-D)
Drafted: '08 WAS 1st Round (27th Overall) Selection
'08-'09 Team - London Knights (OHL)
- John Carlson has all the tools to be an NHL stud on the blue line. Blessed with great size and a howitzer of a shot, Carlson seems to be NHL ready. In last year's camp, the young rearguard wowed the Washington staff as an 18 year-old, staying with the team all the way until the end of camp. The one problem for Carlson may be the amount of defenseman in the Caps' system. Their AHL affiliate is stacked, with defensemen such as Karl Alzner ready to make the jump. Like Del Zotto and Duchene, it's NHL or OHL for Carlson. He has already made the jump from junior hockey in New Jersey, to the USHL, to the OHL in three consecutive years. A jump to the NHL in year four would be impressive.

1. Nathan Gerbe (Buf-LW)
Drafted: '05 BUF 5th Round (142th Overall) Selection
'08-'09 Team - Portland Pirates (AHL)
- Nathan Gerbe has been told he's too small his entire life. Listed at 5'6'' (...yeah right, and Marty St. Louis is 5'8''), Gerbe makes up for what he lacks in height through tremendous skill, smarts, and work ethic. I say height, and not size, because this guy is jacked. Odds are if you come across Gerbe, he's either staying after practice working on his shot or getting a lift in at the gym. He had a fairly dissapointing ten game stint with Buffalo in '08-'09 last season - but that will only increase his drive. With injuries to Paul Guastad and Adam Mair, Gerbe's attempt to make the Sabres got a nice lift. I expected him to make the team before these injuries, and I certainly expect him to make it now. If the '08-'09 AHL Rookie of the Year lines up on the wing with Derek Roy or Tim Connolly, I think the Sabres will be pleased with the results this time around.

Top 10: Bounce Back Seasons

Slumps. Injuries. The wrong linemates. The wrong coach. The wrong system.

There's several reasons a player can have a down year. But the big question looming for these players and their teams is, can they bounce back?

Here's ten guys I think will.

10. Scott Gomez (C-MTL)
'08-'09 stat-line: 77 gp, 16 g, 42 a, 58 pts, -2
- In the three seasons before last, the speedy Gomez averaged .91 points per game. Last year he came in at lowly .75 points per game, his lowest since the '02-'03 season. There were a handful of reasons - a high ankle sprain, a bad offensive team, no linemates, and one of the worst power-plays I have ever seen. Expect "Gomer" to jump back up to around a point per game, due in large part to former linemate Brian Gionta and ex-Calgary sniper Mike Cammalleri flanking him on the wings. This line may be small in stature, but I think they will really click. Gomez knows how to play in a defensive system from his Devils days, so don't expect that to hold him back. And let's be honest, could Montreal possibly be worse offensively than the Rangers of last season? I think not.

9. Peter Mueller (RW-PHO)
'08-'09 stat-line: 72 gp, 13 g, 23 a, 36 pts, -7
- The 'Yotes were expecting big things from Peter Mueller in his sophomore season. Unfortunately for Gretzky's squad, the sophmore slump hit Mueller - and hard. Not only did Mueller's point total drop by 18, but his assertiveness all over the ice took a nose dive. Many nights I found myself checking the box-score to see if he was even in the line-up. Phoenix fans (if there are any) shouldn't be too concerned. Many times a young player needs to take a step back before taking two steps forward. Expect Mueller's dissapointing sophomore campaign to fuel his fire for the '09-'10 season. A likely coaching change will only help. No offense to "The Great One," but he's no Scotty Bowman. I'd pencil Mueller in for 20+ goals and around 55-60 points.

8. Tomas Kaberle (D-TOR)
'08-'09 stat-line: 57 gp, 4 g, 27 a, 31 pts, -8
Tomas Kaberle's '08-'09 season was filled with drama. His name was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons...and constantly. Trade rumors, first, and then an injury. But those times have came and passed. Kaberle is still wearing the maple leaf on the front of his sweater, and will anchor a much improved Toronto defense. Coach Wilson has already came out and stated they expect 27-28 minutes a night from the Czech defender. The additions to the blue-line will allow Kaberle to stretch his legs offensively, much the way we've seen in the past when he's put up consecutive seasons of 67, 58, and 53 points. Expect Kaberle to get back to the 50 point plateau in '09-'10.

7. Erik Johnson (D-STL)
'08-'09 stat-line: 0 gp, 0 g, 0 a, 0 pts, +/-0
- When reflecting on the Blues emergence into the playoffs last season, it's easy to forget they were missing the 2006 NHL Draft's #1 Selection. Erik Johnson did not play in '08-'09, thanks to a freak accident on the golf course. Those damned golf carts will get you every time. Johnson had an excellent rookie season in '07-'08, notching 33 points in 69 games played. Johnson will be a star - that much is for sure. If he can work his way onto the Blues' top power-play unit, which he should, the big totals will be there. For '09-'10 I'd expect anywhere from 40 to 55 points from the young rearguard, who should log around 19-23 minutes a game - and possibly more as the season progresses. The only thing that can slow this kid down is injuries.

6. Brent Burns (D-MIN)
'08-'09 stat-line: 59 gp, 8 g, 19 a, 27 pts, -7
- After breaking out in '07-'08 and registering 15 goals and 43 points, last season was one to forget for Brent Burns. A defensive system. An undiagnosed concussion. What a head-ache (zing!). There's a number of reasons to expect big things from #8 this year. A new coach. A system that preaches attacking. More firepower up front in the form of Martin Havlat (and possibly Petr Sykora) - remember Marian Gaborik only played 17 games last season. Not to mention, Burns will be trying to play his way onto the Canadian Olympic team. Expect Burns to log more minutes than he has prior in his young career. Don't forget that Burns, not Mike Green, won the award for best defenseman at the '08 IIHF Worlds. '09-'10 will be a good one for the Ajax, Ontario native.

5. Carey Price
'08-'09 stat-line: 23-16-10, .905 SV%, 2.83 GAA, 1 so
-Big things were expected from Carey Price in '08-'09. Coming off a splendid rookie season in which Montreal advanced to the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, big things were expected not only from Price, but the Canadiens as a whole. However, it wasn't to be for Price or the Canadiens. Much of the criticism was directed to the young man inbetween the pipes. Perhaps too much was expected of the Hab's tender, who turned just 21 during the season. Critics said he wasn't in shape, had a poor attitude, enjoyed the Montreal night-life too much, and that he needed to stop acting his age. They were probably right. I expect last year to serve as a wake-up call for Price, who will now be in a more defensive-savy Jacques Martin system, which should help tremendously. Carey Price is destined to be a top five goalie in this league. Will next year be the season? I'm not quite sure, but the key to Montreal's future should be a top ten goalie, atleast, in '09-'10.

4. Jason Spezza
'08-'09 stat-line: 82 gp, 32 g, 41 a, 73 pts, -14
- Jason Spezza came into the '08-'09 season with a few things on his mind. For one, he wanted to play 82 games, being limited to an average of just 71 games in the previous three years. And two, he wanted to improve his defensive game, and become a better all-around player in the process. Well, he managed to play in 82 games...but the results weren't what you'd expect. Spezza only notched 73 points. Taking his average stats from the previous three seasons, Spezza's point totals, pro-rated for an 82 game season, should have been at 105 points. Not only did he underperform offensively, but his defensive game didn't improve. If anything, it got worse. Even though Spezza will be without Heatley this year, guys like Alexei Kovalev, Milan Michalek, and Sens' Captain Daniel Alfredsson will provide Spezza with suitable wingers. Who knows, maybe Spezza can even resurrect Jonathon Cheechoo the way Joe Thornton did in '06-'07. Do you think Spezza will want to prove Hockey Canada wrong for not putting him on its initial try-out list for Team Canada's camp? I do. Expect Spezza to register 90+ points, while also improving his dismal defensive play.

3. Dion Phaneuf
'08-'09 stat-line: 80 gp, 11 g, 36 a, 14 pts, -11
-If I were to tell you back in September of 2008 that there was a 23 year-old defenseman who had improved his point and +/- totals in his first three seasons, from 49 points and a +5, to 50 points and a +10, to 60 points and a +12, what would you expect in his fourth year? Certainly not a 47 point, -11 showing. Now 24, Phaneuf will try to continue making the strides he had made in his first three years in the NHL. Known for having a large ego, expect Phaneuf to take his '08-'09 performance to heart. He has to be better, and he will be. With the addition of Jay Bouwmeester, there's no reason to expect Phaneuf won't be playing with one of Robyn Regehr, Cory Sarich, or Bouwmeester - all excellent partners. Expect "Double Dion" Phaneuf to get back to his old ways in '09-'10 - putting pucks in the net and banging bodies.

2. Vincent Lecavalier
'08-'09 stat-line: 77 gp, 29 g, 38 a, 67 pts, -9
Outside of Marty St. Louis, positives were hard to come by for the Tampa Bay Lightning in '08-'09. Positives were also hard to come by for team captain Vincent Lecavalier. For starters, Lecavalier was coming off major surgery on his left wrist. He then had to endure a coaching change, an ownership controversy, and daily trade rumors. The big center had averaged 100 pts over the course of the past two seasons. '08-'09 saw Lecavalier register 37 points less than that average, not even hitting the 30 goal mark - something that should be a certainty for a player of Lecavalier's talent. The bottom line is Lecavalier is now 100% healthy, and fully assured that he will be in Tampa Bay for the long haul. While he might not be playing with St. Louis at even strength this season, the Lightning captain will still notch atleast a point per-game, and probably more. A 40+ goals, 50+ assists, 90+ points season should be in the works for the french-canadian center.

1. Dany Heatley
'08-'09 stat-line: 82 gp, 39 g, 33 a, 72 pts, -11
Dany Heatley had been one of the premiere players in the first three seasons after the NHL lock-out. Two 50 goal seasons (and it could've been three had he not been out for 11 games in '07-'08). An average of 1.23 points per-game. +93. A trip to the Stanley Cup Finals...Then there was '08-'09. Heatley's season didn't go as planned, and neither did the Senators, who missed the playoffs for the first time since the '95-'96 campaign. Things will be better for Heatley in '09-'10. After demanding a trade, Heatley will now find himself on Joe Thornton's left wing in San Jose, and on a team that won the President's Trophy in '08-'09. Heatley will be playing for re-newed respect, a spot on Canada's Olympic squad, and a chance to push San Jose towards a long and elusive playoff run. A 45+ goal, 90+ season should be in the cards for San Jose's newest sniper.


Honorable mentions: Paul Stastny (C-Col), Danny Briere (C-PHI), Vesa Toskala (G-TOR), Ed Jovanovski (D-PHO), Lubomir Visnovsky (D-EDM), Olli Jokinen (C-CGY)

Can You Feel It?

That's right. Hockey is in the air.

With the pre-season opening tonight with the Islanders taking on the Canucks, hockey is officially upon us.

And that means I'm back.

Stay tuned as I deliver some pre-season articles, culminating with my '09-'10 season predictions. Whose making the playoffs? Is the Great8 going to take home MVP honors for a third straight season? Will Pittsburgh repeat as Cup Champs?

Up first - bounce back seasons. Whose in store for one?